Signing up for an educational tour is an exciting experience! To make sure it goes smoothly, here are a few step-by-step instructions to help you navigate the process. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask your group leader or contact Explorica Customer Care.
Step 1: Find your tour
Go to explorica.com/sign-up and enter the Tour Center ID provided by your group leader (it’s usually the last name of your group leader, followed by a number like “Smith-1234”).
Don’t remember your group’s Tour Center ID? No worries. Just call our Customer Care team at 1.888.310.7121.
Don’t have a tour to sign up for?
Step 2: Sign up
Now that you’ve found your Tour Center, it’s time to sign up! Once you’ve clicked “sign up now”, you’ll go to an informational page where you’ll fill in all the information we need to get you on your way. Be sure to enroll early to secure the best discounts available and to be sure your spot is secured! Travelers enrolling past the enrollment deadline will be subject to our late sign-up policy.
Once you’ve finished signing up, you’re ready to explore your Tour Center—your online one-stop shop for all things related to your tour. Come here to make payments, update your fundraising page, receive important reminders, find out hotel and flight information, and more.
Step 3: Know the important deadlines
Once you’ve signed up, it’s time to make sure you’ve taken care of some important to-dos. And the first thing on the list is to make sure you’ve applied for or renewed your passport and any applicable travel visas. Ideally, you should get started on passport applications and renewals 8-9 months before your scheduled tour, in order to compensate for any potential issues. So, get to it!
Each month we will automatically charge the credit cards or debit the checking accounts of participants who choose our monthly payment plan; we will send an email reminder of payments due to all other participants approximately two weeks in advance of the payment due date. You will receive payment reminders only through email and not through the mail. Be sure to check the conditions of your selected payment plan to ensure that you are up to date with all of your payments!
Step 4: Learn the details and start the count-down!
After the enrollment deadline has passed and Explorica has begun to finalize your group’s reservations, you can visit your Tour Center to learn the details about your flights, meals, accommodations and on-tour activities.
During this time, you should also perform some pre-tour prep-work. Learn about your tour destinations, get some tips on how to pack smart, pick up an international cell phone or calling card to keep in touch while abroad, and find answers to some of our other frequently asked questions about tours and travel.
Step 5: Bon voyage
After months of anticipation, it’s finally time to take your Explorica tour!
Once you’ve arrived at your first destination, you’ll meet your tour director. They’re regional experts, and they’re fluent in all your tour’s languages. They’ll take care of all the on-tour details, while also filling you and your friends in on the best lunch spots, nearest bank locations, or can’t-miss destinations.
With the help of your tour director and local guides, you’ll participate in immersive activities, eat authentic meals, and meet locals to get a truly authentic cultural experience.
Step 6: Welcome home
Once you’ve returned, it’s time to share! Get together with your friends for a fun post-tour reunion to swap stories, photos and memories. And don’t forget to share your amazing experiences with the rest of the world by posting on Explorica’s social networking pages and entering the photo contest!
